New Mexico: Freedom On The Ground

New Mexico: Freedom On The Ground

Just outside the town of Truth or Consequences, in southern New Mexico, there’s a spaceport designed for taking tourists into outer space. Called Spaceport America, the state-of-the-art facility isn’t ready for launching wannabe astronauts into the cosmos just yet. But once it is, perhaps in late 2013 or early 2014, regular folks will be able … Continued

Seeking Solace in the Sky

The scenery doesn’t matter. The temperature becomes obsolete. Every noise fades into the distance and the only sound I hear is the quickened thump of my heart and the rushing of the wind. The air envelopes me and thoughts become a thing of the past. There is no time to think if you are becoming … Continued

Manchester: Alone Away From Home

I was twenty-three when I moved from Montreal to Manchester to pursue my Master’s degree. It was my first time living overseas. It was my first time living away from home at all. Twenty-three is late, especially when you consider the number of teenagers who leave home in search of freedom, growth, and independence at … Continued

The Magic of the Swiss Mountains

Majestic mountain tops, leafy pine trees amongst the immense white and sprinkles of glistening lakes, these are the first things you might notice as your coach approaches your resort. Then as the sun sets, the golden twinkle of villages below, reflect the stars above. As you arrive to your chalet, a crackling fire and freshly … Continued

Soviet Union: Have Your Juice and Drink It Too

“Don’t deprive yourself of anything,” said dad giving me a paper ruble, now extinct currency of the Soviet Union. In St. Petersburg in the 1980’s you could buy half dozen loafs of bread, ten glasses of tomato juice or a quarter-bottle of vodka with this amber-green note. What’s the best way to make a kid … Continued

Operation Iraqi Freedom

In my mid-20’s, my husband and I lived in a tiny townhouse, which was part of a small city at the epicenter of nowhere in a botched effort to be halfway to everywhere, namely college for him and work for me. We were tripping over our cat, Elryck, and boxes that never got unpacked. Then … Continued

Amsterdam: Dutch Sky

There are many accepted treatments for panic disorder. International travel is not usually listed among them. I took my panic attacks on a rail odyssey across Europe with my best friend, largely because I was too embarrassed to admit that my fear of everything had reached the point that I was afraid to do something … Continued

Letting out the Italian

I pound on the door, knuckles slamming against the hard wood.  I wanted to call out for help, but other guests in the hotel were sleeping.  Pressing my head to the door, I jiggled the handle and felt my heart fall as it jerked to a stop with a solid clunk –I was locked in. … Continued

Ukraine: Chotyn

We looked for old people; we found them on a quiet road, standing near a well, ready to draw water. They were short, thin people; the woman wore a kerchief over her grey hair, accentuating the multitude of wrinkles on her face. She had a greying cloth apron over her top and skirt. The man … Continued

Canada: Child of the Wind

This place is my home. I love it here. I am infatuated with the smooth, curved logs that form the walls of the Ranch House. I am entranced by the cool, fading orange-brown oak of my cabin floor. I am hooked on the smoke that billows from the copper-coloured kitchen. Spider webs, thick glass windows, … Continued

We Said Go Travel